Planning My Workshop — Metal Building vs. Wood Building

One of the projects that Matt wants to get done immediately is my woodworking workshop. Every time I mention my workshop, it seems to cause confusion for some people. To be clear, my studio was never meant for “dirty” projects. I never intended to drag my miter saw, table saw, planer, etc., into my studio to use them.

If the studio had been intended for those things, I never would have gone to any trouble to make it pretty. But then again, I would never choose to have that kind of workshop, with all of the dust it creates, directly attached to my house. The studio has always been intended for use as my office, first and foremost, but also as a place where I do the “clean” projects — painting, sewing, upholstery, etc. I don’t mind creating a little bit of dust in here, but saws and planers are a bit much.

So we’ve always planned to build a separate outbuilding for that purpose — a building where I can have my miter saw, planer, and table saw permanently set up for use. I also need a place to keep and use my smaller tools, like my sander, routers, jigsaw, and the like. And one day, I’d like to add to my tools with a drill press, a jointer, a much bigger table saw, and maybe even a lathe. I’ve dreamed of having my own woodworking workshop since I was a young girl walking around my grandfather’s workshop, looking around in awe at all of his tools and the amazing things he made with them.

Anyway, Matt has said that he wants to do that sooner than later, and it makes sense. I probably won’t be able to get it completely finished right away. Things like running electricity to the building will have to wait (but I have a solution for that in the interim). Finishing those things will be more of a long term project. But at least for now, we could get the building and then I could not only put my tools in there and get them out of the weather (they’re currently sitting in the carport where I use them regularly), but I could also use it to store things that I need to clear out of the sunroom so that we can move forward with our demo and construction plans. It makes more sense to put our money towards something that we actually get to keep long term rather than putting it into something temporary, like renting a POD for months to store things.

I haven’t made any final decisions yet, but here’s where I started, and where I’m heading with this decision. I started off leaning towards this building from Home Depot. The company that makes these buildings actually installs it for you, and the price of $10,277.24 includes installation. That seems like a great price to me! I would want it built on a concrete foundation, so that would add about $4000 to the price.

The problem is that I can’t find any customer photos or reviews of this exact building. Most of the reviews show pictures of much smaller sheds (the kind you put together yourself), and the reviews are very mixed. So that doesn’t make me feel very confident about that brand. It seems that it’s one of those “you get what you pay for” things. I read all of the questions and answers, and I didn’t see any mention of house wrap (like Tyvek) being used, either.

But if any of you have purchased an installed building from this company, I’d love to hear about it! The company name is Handy Home Products, but when I called the customer service number, it said the name is Backyard Products. So if you have purchased an outbuilding from this company that they install, let me know about your experience! I’m curious about the quality of the building as well as the quality of the work in installing it.

Also, I already have windows for my workshop. I bought them a long time ago when I had that crazy idea to turn the carport into my workshop. And the windows I have are nice. They’re the same windows we used on the house. But that company will only use their own windows.

So I decided to look at local shed companies to see what they offer. I looked at three different ones, and they each had a 3D shed designer on their websites. The ratings and reviews for all thee companies look comparable. Their products look comparable. But one was a bit cheaper than the other.

I used the 3D building to design a workshop and then talked to the man on the phone to ask all of my questions. They can build on a concrete pad, but there’s a 10% upcharge because they have to build it on site rather than building it in their manufacturing facility and then just bringing it here and dropping it off. But they’re also happy to use my windows, and they’ll give me a discount for that since they don’t have to provide windows. Another thing I love is that they will paint it any Sherwin Williams color I want, which is perfect because I want it the same color as our house, which is Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray.

I had originally designed a 16′ x 24′ building. That’s what I marked out with spray paint in our back yard the other day.

But yesterday, several commenters said that that’s not big enough for a workshop. So I went back to the website to see what sizes they have available. The biggest one they have is 16′ x 60′, which seems crazy long to me. I mean, I’m sure I could find a way to fill that thing up 😀 , but I can’t imagine such a long building in our back yard.

The size that really appealed to me is the 18′ x 32. That’s 176 square feet larger than the carport that I’ve been using as my workshop for a long time now. That one would look like this, with a roll-up door on one end, and a standard 9-lite door on the side with two windows…

Here’s the front view…

And then the back view and the other end. I want one solid wall that doesn’t have any doors or windows in it.

So the cost of that comes to right at $20,000, not including the concrete pad. I’m not even sure if I need a concrete pad, so those of you who have workshops can let me know what you think. Do I need that added expense? Or should I just go with the wood foundation they build to put the building on?

I do like that they do everything, including all of the caulking and painting. They won’t leave anything for a DIYer like myself to do. They finish the whole thing themselves because they have a warranty on the building and on their work. So if there’s a leak, they know it’s their problem to fix. If paint starts peeling, that’s their problem to fix. I really like that.

So the other option that several of you mentioned is a metal building. I do love that metal buildings cost so much less. Obviously, that appeals to me. But I just have such a hurdle getting past the fact that a metal building doesn’t look like what I have envisioned all of these years. Something like this 20′ x 30′ building starts at around $11,300, not including the concrete pad.

That’s just not what I’ve envisioned all of these years, and I don’t know that I would be happy putting a metal building directly in my line of sight from the back doors of my studio. But that price sure is appealing to me!

So I’d love to hear from those of you who have woodworking workshops (or other kinds of workshops). Did you consider both wood/siding buildings as well as metal buildings? And what did you go with in the end? And why? If you went with the wood/siding building, did you pour a concrete pad? Or did you go with the foundation they build for it? And if you could change anything about your decision, what would it be? I don’t want to rush into a decision and then regret my decision later. I want to get on this and get it done as soon as possible, but I also want to make a wise and informed decision.

 

 

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81 Comments

  1. Do you plan on adding some sort of HVAC into this building? My suggestion would be to put roll up garage doors on both sides for cross ventilation. The 18’x32′ feels like a winner in size, company integrity, and aesthetics.

    1. Definitely a roll-up door on both ends! You’ll be surprised how often you will want both ends open.

  2. Morning
    I’m a wood gal all the way. The look and texture of the wood feels right in a treed area like you have and it will look well with the house. I would also splurge on the concrete, less subject to damage. Kristi, you will be using the building long term so it will be worth the investment. If the budget could stretch I would try to get it wired at the building stage. All the best

    1. With outlets at 4 ft above the floor and every 4 ft linear. No crawling around and other things in the way! Space for storage underneath and easy access. For the electrical panel, I would ask for 20 amp breakers since some bigger tools pull quite a bit of electricity on start-up. And 200 amp box. Lessen the number of outlets on a breaker so as to spread out the load. Who knows what you might want to put in there in the future!

  3. In our neighborhood metal accessory buildings are not permitted, but a lot of people have done a mental building and then clad it with brick, stone, etc to match the exterior of their home. That does definitely increase the price however, depending on the materials you’re using!

  4. I just had a crazy idea. What if you made your carport into your workshop? You have your tools there now and it is right outside your back door. Then build a new carport. Just a thought.

  5. I would go with a roll up door for sure as I think it would be much more efficient for space than the swing open doors. I would also go with the concrete floor. I think for long term it would stand up better and it would be easier for cleaning up.

  6. My husband had a “ready made bring it on a truck” kind of workshop. I did have wood siding and was already painted in color to match our house. We knew we could finish out the inside and so it was perfect. We had wide door and two windows. It had a storage loft which we really liked. We finished it out and put a wood stove in there because he is old fashioned and that was what he wanted….to put his coffee pot on. it was plenty warm in winter and we never put an air conditioner in it…but it was insulated enough we did not need more than a fan. It sat full in the sun as yours will be. We had Tennessee climate however and you have Texas. So not sure that is good comparison. When I had to sell after his passing I got much more for my house and property because of it. We also put a porch on it for outside work. I nver regretted buying it…it stayed in very good condition during those years and still is because I see it when I pass by it. We did not opt for foundation or under pinning. We underpinned it our selves and the company who brought it leveled it with cement blocks. I

      1. Sandy I love this! A very sweet memory to share. This is what we have thought of right down to the wood stove. Think that’s the direction we’ll go when the time comes. Thank you for the insight. Blessings from NC!

  7. Either way go with concrete base. You are talking about putting quite a bit of weight on the floor and I’m not sure a wood base will hold up to the weight.

  8. Forever house. Get the wood. Also won’t you need a building permit for that building? Might dictate the type of foundation you can use.

  9. We had a large metal building put out back. It’s about 60’L x 30’W maybe? It has 3 overhead doors. The overhead doors are flimsy but adequate for our needs. We, too, had our own doors & windows. I think it ended up costing us at least as much as using theirs. They did credit us for the cost of their windows and doors, but they do charge to redo the plan with our window & door dimensions and the installer also charged for the installation of the doors & windows since they weren’t part of the pre-packaged installation they were used to. It’s not a pretty building – looks like a standard large metal building. We did get it in a beige color rather than trying to match the house and detached garage. If we want to paint the house and garage, we don’t have to worry that the “shop” will no longer go with it unless we paint it too. And that would be a huge expense. With the beige building behind the garage and pump house and a couple of trees, people don’t even notice it’s there. We had our neighbor and his crew do the concrete floor. I think that cost us around $6,500 but it’s a really, really thick pad (we think maybe some day we’ll put a car lift out there). If I were you, I’d go with the wood building. Looks much nicer being so close to the house.

  10. Hey Kristi,
    In my last house I had a Tuff shed installed and it was brilliant. I’m not sure how the brand you’re looking at compares but I LOVED everything about the Tuff shed. I was able to fully customize the whole thing including a roof vent. The ground had a slope and they leveled everything and built the shed on a metal frame. They built mine on site. I added height to mine so I could use the loft for additional storage and custom shelves. I’m excited to see what you end up doing.

  11. Dear Kristi,
    The options are pretty endless with a metal building. You can have a building that looks pretty much like your prefab one-made out of metal. With any windows and doors that you choose.
    There are ways to make metal buildings look a lot more like traditional stick-built structures…enlarged overhangs, custom soffit and fascia, wide trim around windows and doors and at corners, et cetera.
    We have a barn that we sided and roofed with metal that doesn’t look like a standard, traditional metal building (like your example photo). We also hope to build a woodworking shop with office for my husband once he’s retired. It will be metal clad but will look like a cute cottage or maybe like a garage with an apartment overhead.
    With your eye and creativity I’m sure you could make a metal building look almost exactly like the shop you’ve been envisioning.
    In my area metal colors are extensive and I believe you could find one that closely matches your house color.
    You could probably pretty closely replicate the Home Depot prefab building in looks; for a lot less, if you went with metal.
    Wishing you blessings on your projects and wisdom and discernment in the planning!
    YHWH Bless You : )

  12. I live in Orange County, California so don’t have the luxury of extra land for a woodshop detached from my home. I use our two car garage and have all my tools (full size tablesaw, jointer, planer, chop saw, router table, drill press, bandsaw, spindle sander, drum sander, dust collection, clamp rack, laser machine, you name the tool, I’ve got it) and still can put one car in the garage. My shop was featured in Wood Magazines Best Home Workshops, so you don’t need a crazy big shop to have a very functional work space, the 16 x 24 would definitely work great. If you’d like to see pictures of my set up I can email them to you.

  13. Kristi, we live in East Tennessee and the wood carpenter bees have eaten us out of house and barns. We are in the process of replacing one barn and reinforcing the very large 40X60 pole barn with more metal, so we don’t lose it like we did the 36X60 horse barn. We have concrete foundations in them, as a sub-floor would not be strong enough to hold the equipment. Some of the metal products they make today are very pretty, and to my eyes, anything that frustrates those darn carpenter bees is gorgeous. We are about to break ground on a building closer to the front of the house and I want to make sure that it looks appropriate for the farm, but believe it or not, it will be made of metal. They make a board and batten in metal that looks amazing and with a standing seam metal roof, it will complement the house and hold my husband’s wood workshop and my processing kitchen. The concrete pad is 50X70 and the building itself is 40X60. Go with the guy on the phone, I find that around here good contractors are few and far between. If you have someone that does 90% of the heavy lifting, go for it. Look at how you want to lay out your shop, put the windows and doors where you want them and how they make sense on your loading and unloading everything, and make sure to have some spots for your electrical and plumbing. Trust me when I tell you that having water out in your workshop is critical. I am a few years older than you are, and having a bathroom in the workshop is a must, not just for cleaning up, but for the necessities of life. The barns are a 1/4 mile from the house, it’s a little bit of a jaunt for a little old lady to go and use the restroom. Also, look at spray foaming the inside, as the heat is in Waco, I can tell you, you’ll appreciate the insulation summer and winter. We installed the LED lights they use at the car wash places and have never had any issues with them being out of doors so to speak in the barns. I know this is a lot to take in, but you’re the best at dotting “I’s” and crossing “T’s”. Can’t wait to see the plans.
    Cheers!

    1. Oh, Carpenter Bees! I have some of those living in the eves of our house. I should probably be worried about them, but I really like their little bee faces and the way they roll around in my flowers so I haven’t made an effort to eradicate them yet.
      Also, as a fellow woodworker, I feel some affinity for them…

  14. Do the wood building! I would just pass on the Home Depot version! Couldn’t the one company build it without a floor and set on a concrete pad then bolt it down? Isn’t that how a concrete foundation house is built? Cons to concrete would be cold and it’s very tiring and hard on your legs and feet but easy to clean! What about finishing the inside (insulation, Sheetrock?) there is a product called Trusscore which is great for a workshop. A higher upfront cost but you can do it yourself. If you plan on finishing the inside that’s a big cost as well. Would a utility sink be useful out there?
    Always build bigger than you think you need! 60’ might be a bit much for you tho 🙂 you might consider a mini split for heating and cooling in your climate. Have you figured in the cost of electrical for the shop? Add as many outlets as possible, so you dont have to unplug something to plug another tool in.

  15. I personally would not go with a metal building. I haven’t had one myself but the neighbors across the street had one and it was always a rusted, leaning awful sight. The roof buckled with snow & ice in the winter. When the wind hit it at the right angle it made creaking noises. It was a hideous image to see everyday. I was so happy when it was finally torn down.
    I have had buildings from both Home Depot and Lowes. They are adequate, but the best building I ever had was stick built on sight on a concrete pad.

    1. I’m from Florida. Metal buildings here don’t seem to do as well in hurricanes. Not that that is as much a concern for you in Waco, but just thought I’d mention. Also they tend to not come insulated and get really hot. You can add, but might be extra cost above what you quoted.

  16. I’m glad you are going bigger!!

    Our property is just shy of an acre, we have a large 30×60 metal building that my husband uses for his hobbies. We did two tone with similar colors to the house. We also recently added a wood structure building (DIY) for my jewelry studio. It was also done in the colors of the house but we used vinyl siding (my day job). Both look nice, both function for our needs.

    One more note, on the workshop. Ask about venting. I know some building have condensation issues from not enough venting. Which can lead to tools rusting.

  17. Kristi I’m really enjoying following along on your new plan and your process of working through the details. I’m learning so much from you as well as others posting. We haven’t been fortunate enough to add our building yet but I have worked in buildings with friends, family members and at our church. The major problem I’ve heard regarding metal buildings is that they get extremely hot in the sun. Where they have added a heating and cooling system, they complain that it runs constantly to make it bearable enough-ish to work. So we’ve removed metal from our future plan. That’s all I have functionally. I’m sure other readers are more educated. Aesthetically I’d say not to go with anything that you’ll regret. If you’re going to save money doing the addition, make sure you’re happy with what you do or it may a temptation to redo it later. And that’s not truly saving money (ask me how I know…we’re redoing regrets and contractor mistakes now and have been stuck because it’s costing us more in overall) When looking out of your windows while washing dishes in your gorgeous new kitchen at your landscaping and gardens, you want a sense of joy and accomplishment, not to have your eyes travel over to your workshop and think “oh 😒 the workshop” Just my thoughts. Blessings to you and Matt from NC

  18. My one suggestion is to go with the concrete pad. It’s a good investment in the long run. Putting the building on a wood frame, basically the ground, doesn’t sound great!! Just my thoughts.

  19. One additional comment…the concrete floors are the best for stability, cleaning, etc. BUT my father had a welding shop for years on a concrete floor and it took its toll. If you do put in a concrete floor, which I recommend, buy those wonderful thick rubber mats that slant down on the sides(no tripping) in front of the work areas as needed and you can still vacuum up dust, wood, etc easily. Great solution.

  20. We have two wood buildings on our property. Both are set up on concrete blocks. No concrete pad. One is about 10 years old & still going strong. The other is about 7 yrs old & is my husband’s shop with electric power.

  21. So I’d reccomend looking into a few things. Look at the rest of the big plans in the back and ask your contractor about room they’d like to work in. Costs for bigger landscaping things (like tracks n such) can be my missed by planning adequate access for the equipment. On foundation I’d look into the infrastructure you’d want there and how you install it with a slab. I reccomend placing a vault/hand hole in the slab you later run electric to and possibly a valve box (could be outside) to be able winterise water infrastructure. But know that placement prior to a slab. If you think plans change too much m

    1. Your ads make my page jump around….

      If plans are fluid a wood base is good for flexibility. Sort like your preference for a pier and beam over slab.

  22. I am facing the same decision. I want to build a “Creative Cabin” on some land I have in the country. I think I want wooden structure, but still looking at options. There are plans on Etsy that are affordable and have many design options and vendor options. Like you, I think I want a concrete foundation.

    Then there are people who build “bunkies” and move them to your site.I found those on FB Marketplace. I have looked at basic ones (nope) and so called Amish ones (better) but I want solar panels on the roof so I can be off the grid and possibly HVAC. For what I want, price would be sinilar to what you want,but I have no idea yet about cost of solar panels and HVAC. Good luck with your search! I will be following your journey very closely.

  23. I was just wondering if you are still making progress in your office. Have you started work on the desk chair? I am excited to see the room finished.

  24. Kristi, We went with a 16′ x 12′ metal building built on an existing 10 x 12 concrete slab in 1995 for our tools and small work area. Of course we put those concrete blocks under the edges of it to insure safety. It has two windows and a double door on the front. After the building was built our son came and put in an electricity panel. Then we weatherized the top with sealant to keep the screws from becoming loose and potential leaks. We used canned spray foam to seal the outside where the metal panels met the top and the side trim to prevent any kind of water, air, or bugs from getting in. We did create an opening for a small window AC and installed it to look like an amazing built in. We completely did the inside ourselves by adding 2″ x 4″ studs along the bottom between the 2 x 4 wall studs. We also added extra wall studs. We doubled the floor thickness with 4′ x 8′ MDF. Then we insulated the entire building walls and ceiling before putting on the wall boards. We used 1″ x 6″ boards for the ceiling over the insulation. We insulated the double wide front door and covered it with the thick rubber sheeting that is used for installing windows to prevent leaking. Then I reinforced that with 1″ x 2″ boards just to hold the rubber. I painted the entire inside my favorite color at that time two shades of blue. That building is still air tight after 29 years of use. Still looks good. We never had enough space to use it for a small working area. The AC was never used and we took it out to create room for storage. When we realized we didn’t put enough thought in the size we really needed to use it as we intended we just started using it for storing our tools. I can send you photos of inside and outside of it if you like.
    Later WE built another 10′ x10′ wood building on pier and beam and reinforced it the very same way we did the other. That one is my she shed. It has electricity too. MY stuff is all that is in there. I love it. It has double front doors and I have a stand up fan that suits me fine for doing my thing. The wood building requires more upkeep…painting it to keep it looking good for one thing. I use big bags of potting soil and plant materials in it, so it don’t stay as clean. Plus I keep a lot of water and yard chemicals in there too.

  25. There are new solar powered mini split AC units. Perhaps something like that could be used to help cool yourworkshop rather than having to invest in an entire HVAC system.

    1. To add to my link above: the more I look at Tuff Shed, the more I think that you could partner with them. They are collaborating with several “influencers.” It would be wonderful to see a post on there called “Tuff Shed Creates a Dream Workshop for Kristi from Addicted to Decorating”!

  26. Us, and both neighbors, are very happy with our metal buildings. They are larger than your estimates due to what they are used for. They are all on cement foundations, also due to the use they are for and being in the NE. The one neighbor added a cupalo as the wife wanted to see something pretty, plus several windows. Ours is plain Jane. I would suggest that if you do not put in ac, have large doors to open on either end for cross ventilation and a really large floor fan. None of us have had to do any maintenance and ours is over twenty years old.

  27. You said if you built a house you would use post and beam. So why wouldn’t you do the same for the workshop? Why cement? I have heard of Backyard…. before. I hope you can find what you are looking for, I know how badly you need it and the sooner the better.

  28. ………..also, wouldn’t a metal building be hotter than the wood? During a rain storm it would be very loud. We just got home and it was pouring buckets. We have a metal carport and we couldn’t even hear ourselves thing it was so loud.

  29. I have a 60 x 40 steel building that hubs and friends built in 1994. Fantastic for everything we wanted to do with it. Divided in half at 30 x 40. His half has the rollup door so he could put his bass boat inside. (Wouldn’t want the bass boat getting wet!) And lots of shelving for storage. Concrete pad since FL, like Texas has termite issues. Pad down and never have to worry about it again. In hindsight, I wish I had put floor drains in one corner for at least a half bath.
    The back half was my sewing studio and storage for anything hubs didn’t want on his side! Double door for access.
    The one thing we didn’t do was put any windows in it. That was to protect us from thieves. Wish I had done something like Solar Tubes but hubs didn’t want anything penetrating the roof. My half was insulated with batts to R-30. Today, I would use foam insulation Type 2 that will withstand 200 degree heat from the metal. Foam was way more expensive in ’94 than now. I do have a big AC in the wall. Waste of money. Always cool in there with that insulation roof & walls. We built a 2×4 stud wall and anchored it to the metal frame around the perimeter as well as an 8′ x 15′ office in one corner. Considering how deep the frame was, R-30 had room left over. I then used sheetrock around the bottom 4′ and pegboard from 4′ up to ceiling (6′ ?).
    If you do put windows in, use 2″ Venetian blinds so you can tilt the louvers up and still have light. People aren’t tempted by what they can’t see as a rule. My late hubs was a Deputy Sheriff here so I tend to be safety conscious. There are so many options for dressing up a steel bldg. Fortunately I live in a farming community and my steel bldg just looks like everybody else’s. Cream walls and a silver roof.

  30. Personally I like metal, because the upkeep is a lot less. Although wood is great, but I’m too stingy, I guess, to pay someone to paint for me.
    It makes me smile when someone says 16×24 is too small, because my family, growing up, lived in one that size for the main living area. It had a lean-to attached. ( This was in another country, until our house was built. )

  31. Hi Kristi my son had a 40 x 60 metal building put into his back yard after he used his garage to add a addition of 3rd bath a 4th bedroom to his home. He has 3 acres in the Naples Fl. Because of building codes he put in a concrete pad to make it up to hurricane wind codes. He ran conduit to be used for electricity and also wifi. He also added a split air-conditioner unit for heat and air. He also had blown insulation which also make the building stronger. He also added a wash tub to use for cleanup. He moved all his tools and workbench plus storage shelving. Since he has very high ceilings he is planing a loft on one side to store supplies. You might even reuse you old kitchen cabinets and may a fridge out there. Maybe you could even run some classes out there. Much lower maintenance with the metal building.

  32. I would also 2nd or 3rd the 2 roll up doors. Our building was set 90 degrees from yours so the doors were on the long sides. We had a double door on one side and a single door on the other side. The disadvantage to the doors being on the long sides is the headers they have to put in place for the garage door openings. And the height restriction of door height unless you make the wall taller. I would make sure whatever door you put in can accomodate whatever sized trailer that may or maynot be in your future. Even one that someone is using to deliver something you bought and backing into the shed would be easier. Our single door was about 6 inches shy of the wheel base of a trailer we bought after building the shed. The tires were mounted on the outside of the trailer so that widened the width just past a standard single door. Ugh!! We used both those roll up doors a ton, cross breeze. Or when doing a project and wanting ventilation but didn’t want wind. We could open either door, depending on sun or wind or rain direction!!! Seriously I was so thankful for those 2 doors all the time!! We went with a pole style building because it was cheaper at the time. We have had metal buildings and wood siding buildings and I liked the wood better. The metal building dents and with hail and such being a thing where we were it caused issues and not easily fixed at all!! The metal building was much hotter!! Also window trim and installation is much more difficult as it depends on where in the pattern of the ribbed metal you put the window . . .one sids of the window could be in a high place and one in a low place and becomes a trimming nightmare. Not to mention my OCD 😂🤣. Also the color match to your house is not possible with metal. I love when the two match. We did a cement floor and I loved it!! We painted it and it made it so much brighter in their and also made oil or sawdust cleanup a breeze. Also great for spring cleaning if you want to power wash the floor. I would hands down do a cement floor again and again. I would do more windows than you think, for light and ventilation. I agree on the you cannot have it big enough. It is amazing how quickly you realize you wish you had gone bigger. Don’t forget conduits for electric being in place for cement pouring or whatever. Put electric outlets on the ceiling for plug in led lighting bars. I think that is all I can think of right now. Have fun!! You will love love love having your workshop!

  33. Wood is very expensive these days, so I’m guessing wood decking and flooring would be close $2k, if not more, for a foundation of that size. Benefits of concrete over wood: concrete is less susceptible to moisture issues and rot, more durable and will last longer (regardless of moisture and/or rot), and concrete can be sprayed down to clean and will dry faster than wood. I must say I’m a tad jealous about your big workshop. 🙂

  34. Does either the wood shed or metal building have a finished interior? I doubt it, which means you will want to insulate it and put up some kind of wall covering (peg board?). You will also have to wire it for electricity. You need to factor in these additional costs. Personally I would choose the wood building. It will be easier to insulate and wire if you decide to do any of it yourself. Plus the esthetics will fit better. Besides, if your neighbors built the metal building next door, how would you feel?

  35. As a Realtor, the pole building deteriorates in value over the years where a wood constructed building appreciates. Example. We had both. The wood one on comparable property sold for 3 times what the pole building did.

  36. At our last home, my husband’s car and engine workshop was wood 2×4 construction on a concrete pad. We moved states and he built a custom steel building (on concrete) because that is extremely common out here. If you aren’t familiar with metal buildings…stick with the wood! Metal construction is a totally different animal and needs different techniques and tools to trim out/insulate/finish etc. It would be harder for you to modify anything after the fact. Also, if you don’t know what to ask for it will look basic and industrial, especially since that is how they are usually built and what the crews are used to doing. I know you understand the difficulties of getting run of the mill trades to do things outside their comfort zone!

  37. Wood is your thing. Wouldn’t it be easier to add shelves etc. I have an enclosed porch with Hardy siding on the outside. It was painted when installed 15 years ago and not needed again.

  38. Just curious about why they wpuld need to build on site? Couldn’t build the shed at their workshop and then drop it off onto the concrete pad?

  39. All of a sudden–after reading all the comments–this feels more complicated than your kitchen addition! 🙂

    I do like the idea of maybe a collab with Tuff Shed!

  40. Spend the money and put it on a slab or make sure the wood supports are above grade on concrete footings (like a deck build). The house I bought has a lovely shed in the back yard, but time has caused the original wood timbers it was installed on to rot underneath. While it’s still stable, I now have to either pay to move it, or have someone crib it up and put concrete footers underneath. It’s sitting on some large timbers, leaving the underneath available to burrowing critters to live/hide, and dogs to dig to chase them out. This is your forever house, build something that will last for almost that long!

    1. We had the same problem with a shed that just had a 2×4 base frame it sat on, with sand/dirt underneath. The floor of the shed was spongy!

  41. One thing about concrete, at least here in east central Missouri is that it sometimes sweats! When humidity is really high, our garage floor actually looks like it is weeping! Water drops form, and the color of the concrete is dark like wet cement. I do know that the builder sealed it, so it could just be condensation from the humid air. But I don’t know if you would like that to happen with any wood you may have in the shop. Or if it would happen at all there. So if you go with concrete, I would plan on ventilation, heat/cooling and maybe even a dehumidifier.

  42. Kristi,
    I have the Home Depot 16×20 which looked big. Until l built shelves and cabinets. It shrunk. It has a loft which is where stuff like Christmas decorations are. I would have should have gone bigger.
    For my art sewing room i went with a metal building because it was cheaper. So sorry. I insulated and paneled it. I ad a window unit ac but it was overworked and it was hot. Even with it being in the shade. And cold days even though there weren’t a lot were very cold inside. It was off the ground because that’s the only way they would do it. This all happened in the early 2000’s. So l realize things have changed a lot.
    I’m in South Louisiana and we get the same weather temps you get. I will never go with metal again.
    Both were built at the site and both were off the ground. If l chose to do another wood building it would be on a slab. Also termite control! Off the ground was just one layer of plywood. It has held up but nothing heavy is in there.
    Just my experience with both. The metal building is now used for storage and the floor is not doing well. Plus critters get under both!

  43. We have metal sheds on our farm and we have wooden sheds as well.

    When I built my workshop in 2022, I went with a wooden (T1-11) building that was delivered and set on a limestone/stone pad that we installed.

    I actual prefer the wooden floor over concrete when I’m on my feet for several hours (more comfortable and level) and it’s warmer in the winter.

    Additionally, while metal sheds are really durable, I like knowing that I could easily replace a wood panel if something happens.

    Sidenote: I think you could make a metal shed just as cute!

  44. You are so good at knowing what questions to ask and that is important. Tell everyone to take a deep breath.

  45. I have absolutely no experience on workshops, but my thought is on the foundation. I would guess that concrete might be better for woodworking when needing tools level for cutting and for moving/rolling tools around as needed. Just my thoughts! 🙂

  46. I chuckled at your remark…. First workshop, then other…. The dominoes of remodeling. Ours started with a garden shed to make space in the garage to store the kitchen stuff but a wee detour to install a new deep sink in laundry (for dishwashing/cooking) for kitchen remodel. LOL. Sequencing minimizes clean up, disruption of other spaces and flow of life.

But the garden shed….. slab versus other. We did slab to keep moisture away from building, flexing/torquing of frame but you need to evaluate in relation to your weather. If not cement pad would have set on a good gravel base, again to keep moisture minimized. Wood that sits in wet dirt here rots. The base frame of our shed was TREATED timber. Then installed metal mesh protection around the exterior base to keep critters out from under the building.

There was an option to use a base wallboard under the siding material that had a reflective heat property, sorry, not great with building terminology. That might be something you consider to minimize Texas heat. We upgraded the doors to some with a design, added shutters. It looks like a cute cottage now that plantings have matured. Brand is Dakota Storage. They have a design your building tool at their site that you could play with to come up with your concept and size even if you’re not purchasing.

I agree that larger size is needed. Ours is 10X12 and is efficiently outfitted with shelves on the windowless end that equipment slides under, shelf over the double doors. It’s full. I splurged by painting floor, walls and ceiling. I wanted a fresh, perky place not dreary shed. And maybe it will be used for something else some day. You mentioned doing classes some day, maybe this will be the space you use. You will come up with something perfect.

  47. We just moved in to our retirement home that we designed and had built. I never want to paint the outside of a house again so we have a metal house/roof. It is beautiful and we have nothing we would change. Built on a regular foundation but attached garage and shop on a cement slab. Home Insurance is less also.

  48. We currently have a garage with double doors on each side, and two driveways.
    When we work in the garage even in the Florida heat, there is almost always a breeze coming through. It really helps. My husband is ordering a steel building for our downsize house, for all his tools, etc. He is putting a large door in the back for air circulation again. He is doing or having them do a footing, as well as a thick slab as he expects to possibly store a small RV inside as well. Up in NY he build a very large steel building warehouse for his business and it was perfect for the entire time he ran his business out of there. It still exists. He again put a thick slab because he had trucks to load, and heavy fork lifts on the slab. We are deciding a lot of the details tomorrow when we meet with the representative.

  49. Kristi, please go to a couple of the places where they only sell both wood and metal buildings. Then walk around all of them and then ask your questions of the management. This is one time that you can actually go in person, so you should.

  50. Depending upon your plans for use both now and in the future … I definitely recommend placing it on a concrete pad, and also a second roll-up door on the opposite end, insulation, gutters, and consider a ridge vent and sky lights. Didn’t your printed garden plan have a covered porch facing the yard? If this is something you will add later, then carefully select where the windows are placed and extend the concrete pad out that door large enough for a sitting area. The porch will help the building look less utilitarian. I would consider matching the building roof pitch to your house or car port, so they complement each other. Also, make a plan, prior to building, for how electric and water lines will be run so you can have a laundry tub (for clean up) and irrigation for planting beds. I noticed in the photo that you have trees that need to be removed or heavily trimmed, so that will add to the total cost. Happy planning!

  51. I’m sorry if you’ve already addressed this, but will you really need a huge workshop after you’re done with the studio and the addition? I would add it ASAP to utilize when you’re working on those spaces.

  52. I think metal can be made to look however you want it – after all, your house has a certain look because of the siding added to it, not because of the materials it’s made of. But metal can also turn your workspace into an oven if not insulated properly. And I agree with others, having two big doors across each other would allow for ventilation – it depends on why you want that wall uninterrupted, I guess.

    Lastly, while the original size is a bit on the small side, I think the one you showed us afterwards is perhaps a bit too big – if I was given only these two options, I would probably go with the smaller one. Think of what you are usually building and how much space you actually use moving around. And how you would be moving wood from one tool to the other, too.

  53. I would suggest to have it on a concrete pad and use a roll up door. Make it so you can actually drive into it. Not just a wood floor. That way it doubles for a garage. Minimum size 24×30. Don’t you have a truck and a van? You could park your truck in one side of the workshop and have your tools setup in the other. It would keep your yard and driveway looking more tidy and give you room in the carport to park your van right in the center. I have a 30×50 metal building on my property and we love it. We have a little workshop on one side and use it to store off season items: skis, golf clubs, camping gear, etc. at one time we had a trampoline set up inside and a utility trailer parked inside. It is bigger than we need. I think 30×30 would be a great size for you. Metal is not as aesthetically pleasing but I put curtains in the window, a wreath on the door and a pot with a faux evergreen next to it. I also have a little patio set on the porch. Oh, mine does have a little covered porch on the side which makes it look a little better, too. Once it’s done, I don’t think the metal will bother you.

  54. We have had both a wood building on a concrete slab, as well as a metal building on a concrete slab. The wood building was built by my husband, his only complaint was that it was not large enough. When we moved further into the country we put a metal one up. In Mississippi termites are a problem, so we opted for the concrete foundation over the wood. My husband loves his metal shop now, probably because it is much larger than his older one. So as far as we are concerned, metal or wood is a preference, as neither made a difference in the function. However the metal one is much taller, so turning a larger piece of wood around is not a problem. So just be sure you take that into account no matter which way you go. You could purchase the pieces of equipment you wanted with $9,000 in savings with the metal one, guess you’re the only one who can decide how important the looks are.

  55. My situation was a little different. We were looking for a building like this to make into a tiny home on our property until we build our log cabin. We went to all the local places, but I actually found one on FB Marketplace from a seller that had repossessed one. It was approximately half the price of “new” and had no major changes done to it. We have since ran electric and plumbing, added drywall and walls and have made it into a usable home. My only regret is not putting in MORE windows, but the ones I did I purchased from our local Habitat ReStore. I love finding bargins!

  56. Kristi,

    Growing up my dad had a wood shop of peoples dreams and he went through the same decisions you are now. In the end he went with the wood building – he painted it to match the house, he could insult it better as he knew he would add a mini split a/c (it’s hot and muggy in FL) plus when working with wood/finishes sometimes he needed it to be climate controlled, it would be stronger (held up great in a cat 5 hurricane 20 years later), and it was his one chance at his dream shop. He also went with the concrete floor – easier cleaning up all that dust, anchored the building (again hurricanes) and wood floors tend to rot over time no matter what you do. A couple other things he added was a dust ventilation system which attached to the back of several of his larger tools/machines, a sink which drained to a grey tank, rubber mats/flooring in his “work” area, taller ceilings so he could store extra wood hanging above, and went with double doors instead of a roll up door. There was never a moment he couldn’t roll something in or out. To this day my mom, sister, and friends all still use it for misc projects even though he passed several years ago.

  57. I’ve seen metal buildings with only the front clad in wood or brick to match a house; less maintenance, you should get a discount with insurance company if it’s metal. Concrete slab

  58. When we were thinking of adding a shed, our contractor mentioned pre-owned buildings, which we hadn’t considered. We have a 10×20′ wooden shed (uninsulated) that cost just over 1/2 of what it would’ve been, new. No windows, just a big double door. But works fine for us, has electric and eventually will be a workshop.
    Just a thought for consideration.

  59. Have you priced concrete lately? I’m just wondering because we recently had a concrete pad poured for a 3-car garage and a couple other small areas, and it was almost 10x as much as the $4,000 you mentioned. (And we’re only a couple hours away from you in Texas.)

  60. Aesthetically I know you can make anything look good. You could even go with a red and add elements to make it look more barn-ish. The wood floors included with some of these pre-fabs most likely would not be adequate for your needs. I’d lean towards concrete.
    Have you talked to your contractor yet? Getting a quote and advice from him might be helpful. He should not be insulted to know that you are considering other methods to gain this workshop.
    Is there a reason you want it as a stand alone rather than connected with your carport? Could that save on costs? Just thinking out loud here.

    1. I won’t use the contractor for the workshop. I’ll go with a local company that builds it on site for me.

      I want it as a standalone because I want space enough between the carport and workshop to pull a truck (or the van) in between to unload plywood into the side roll up door. It would make things much more difficult if I had to pull a truck or van filled with plywood or MDF into the carport to unload it into the workshop.